As part of her “Where the Jobs Are” hearing series, Congresswoman Mary
Bono Mack (CA-45), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce,
Manufacturing and Trade, discussed the growing demand for jobs in the
mobile applications (apps) marketplace. A panel of witnesses illustrated
the job-fueling power emerging from the growing apps industry. “Through
American innovation and ingenuity – we’re rapidly becoming a world where
there’s literally ‘An App for Everything,’” said Bono Mack. “Today,
there are apps to lose weight, quit smoking, examine your stock
portfolio, review restaurants, watch videos, check up-to-date scores of
your favorite sports team, witness breaking-news events worldwide, post
on Facebook, tweet to the world in 140-character bursts, and on and on.
According to a recent New York Times article, there were about 8,000
mobile apps in 2008. Today, there are more than 1.3 million, and they’re
multiplying rapidly.”

Morgan Reed, testifying on behalf of the Association for Competitive
Technology, highlighted a 2011 study by the organization, stating, “the
current mobile apps economy has created, saved, or supplemented more
than 600,00 jobs nationwide across iOs, Android, Windows Phone 7 and
Blackberry platforms.”

There exists a rare bright spot in the economy and it lies within the
app industry. While other sectors continue to see regulatory hurdles
impacting their ability to create new jobs, the apps economy is
relatively open space. “The barriers to entry to developing apps are
fairly low; if you have a computer, broadband connection, and the right
skills and software, … you can start coding,” explained Rey Ramsey with
TechNet.

However, finding the necessary talent proves to be challenging. Peter
Farago, Vice President of Marketing for Flurry, Inc., explained that
they are struggling to fill 50 open job positions with workers equipped
with the skill requirements. To help harness the necessary talent, he
asks that lawmakers ensure that app developers have access to a
well-trained workforce and are able “to keep and bring talent in the
U.S.”

This
freedom to innovate has allowed the apps marketplace to steadily grow
and consumers are responding as apps downloads surpass 60 billion.
Farago explained that consumers are willing to pay for those apps in
high demand, making app development a lucrative and appealing business.
He stated, “The net result is that the new app economy is made up of
consumers who spend money, dramatically increasing the value of this
market for businesses.”

“There are too few bright spots creating jobs in our economy right now,
but surely one of the brightest is the birth and growth of the app
marketplace. This is one of the most exciting areas of technology, with
tremendous growth in recent years – growth that experts agree we can
expect to continue,” stated Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred
Upton (R-MI).

Fueled by an open and free market, removed from regulatory reins, the
dramatic growth in the apps marketplace is an example for how we can get
our country working again. With over 30 bipartisan jobs bills stuck in
the Democrat-controlled Senate, the House Republican Plan for America’s
Job Creators encompasses many of the lessons learned from the growing
app economy to create jobs in other sectors of our economy.